A firm ‘heavily involved in Singapore’s most prominent deals’, Allen & Gledhill LLP is home to a sizeable corporate and M&A team of approximately 70 lawyers. Lim Mei is an M&A, equity capital markets and derivatives expertise who is extensively experienced in cross-border transactions; she fronts the practice together with Christian Chin who, in addition to venture capital, corporate restructuring and joint venture transactions, is also an expert in employment law and general commercial contracts. Elsewhere, Andrew Lim is a go-to for corporate governance, regulatory and compliance affairs and Christopher Koh focuses on public takeovers and privatisations. Prawiro Widjaja has a particularly deep knowledge of the Indonesian market and the group’s capacity for multi-jurisdictional transactions is bolstered by its integration with its Vietnam and Myanmar offices, as well as its associations in Malaysia and Indonesia.
Corporate and M&A: local firms in Singapore
Allen & Gledhill LLP
Practice head(s):
Other key lawyers:
Christopher Koh; Richard Young ; Lee Kee Yeng; Andrew Lim; Prawiro Widjaja
Testimonials
‘Knowledgeable & experienced team, capable of providing good practical solutions. Heavily involved in most of the prominent deals in Singapore.’
‘Richard Young is an xperienced lawyer with a keen eye for details. a problem solver.’
‘Well coordinated team, good knowledge of the law and delivered well and on time.’
Work highlights
- Acted on the USS$10.3bn proposed strategic restructuring and demerger of the investment management platforms of CapitaLand Limited Advised CapitaLand, as transaction counsel, on the proposed demerger of CapitaLand Investment Management Limited and subsequent take private by CLA Real Estate Holdings Pte. Ltd.
- Engaged on the USS$8.27bn merger of CapitaLand Mall Trust and CapitaLand Commercial Trust to form the third largest REIT in Asia Pacific.
- Advised Smooth Company Ltd, a company controlled by CVC Capital Partners Asia-Pacific IV L.P. on the US$1.2 billion sale of PT Softex Indonesia to Kimberly-Clark Corporation.
WongPartnership LLP
Acclaimed as ‘the go-to team for complex multi-jurisdictional deals’, WongPartnership LLP has a presence in Shanghai and Yangon and is also a member of WPG, a regional law network with members in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Manila, among other locations. The workload is notably varied and far-reaching and includes matters spread across China, the Middle East and ASEAN nations in addition to mandates of more local significance. Ng Wai King is hailed as ‘the leader in Singapore’s corporate sphere’ and noted as often acting on ‘deal of the year’ transactions. The practice is jointly led by Chan Sing Yee who is an M&A, joint venture, corporate finance and general corporate advisory specialist and Andrew Ang who is a key contact for corporate restructurings, private equity investments and privatisations. Kyle Lee is a further name to note who is forging a strong reputation in the venture capital, start-up and fintech fields.
Practice head(s):
Other key lawyers:
Testimonials
‘We engaged WongPartnership for a various M&A transactions in Singapore and Malaysia as they have deep knowledge and experiences in this area. We also sought advice their finance team as we needed financing for transactions. They quickly assembled relevant team members for our transaction.’
‘Commitment and passion in their work. Intellectual honesty to point out to client of their strength and weakness and provide solution and strike the deal.’
‘Well resourced multidisciplinary team with a broad base of experience makes them particularly good at transactions with many moving parts in different areas of corporate law.’
‘Extremely hard working, perfectionist, knowledgeable team. The team is knowledgeable on the law but also on the APAC region. The team is the go-to team for complex multi-jurisdictional deals in the region with Singapore nexus.’
‘The firm engages with their clients on the issues for M&A and provides well thought through solutions for the client’s consideration. They work together with the clients round the clock to meet with required timelines and will sacrifice weekends and public holidays just to accommodate to the client’s board needs if urgent meetings need to be convene to discuss urgent issues. Billing is negotiable without having to go through many rounds of push backs.’
‘They never reject any ideas ( no matter how ridiculous the idea can be) that have been put forth by the clients and will try to cover all possible outcomes that they can think of when responding to the ideas. They stand out from the rest of the legal firms by listening to the needs of the clients (and all stakeholders including the unitholders) instead of just strictly following the rules of the books. They carried themselves very professionally even under pressure to deliver under tight deadlines. ’
‘The practice has multiple established and experienced partners who are well respected and known in their respective field. They are supported by strong and well trained team of lawyers. It is also connected regionally. ’
‘Wai King Ng is still the leader in the Singapore corporate law sphere and often acts on transactions of the deal of the year variety.’
‘Lawyers are approachable and responsive. Knowledgeable partners who are well informed of the latest developments.’
Key clients
Accordia Golf Co., Ltd.
Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank
Biofourmis Holdings Pte. Ltd.
CapitaLand Commercial Trust Management Limited
CLA Real Estate Holdings Pte. Ltd
DBS Bank Limited
Dynamic Technology Pte. Ltd.
ESR Funds Management (S) Limited
Frasers Commercial Asset Management Ltd
KKR & Co. Inc.
REA Group Ltd.
Sembcorp Industries
Singapore Economic Development Board
Singapore Exchange Limited
SMRT Corporation Limited
Southern Capital Group
Sunningdale Tech Ltd
United Overseas Bank
YHT Venture Pte. Ltd.
Work highlights
- Acted for the offeror, CLA Real Estate Holdings in the restructuring and privatisation of CapitaLand. Acted for DBS, the financial adviser for CLA Real Estate Holdings in the restructuring and privatisation of CapitaLand.
- Advised the manager of CapitaLand Commercial Trust in the merger of CapitaLand Commercial Trust and CapitaLand Mall Trust by way of trust scheme of arrangement to form one of the largest REITs in the Asia Pacific region and the largest in Singapore, with a total portfolio property value of approximately S$22.4bn.
- Acted for Frasers Commercial Asset Management Ltd. as manager of Frasers Commercial Trust in the merger of Frasers Logistics & Industrial Trust (now known as Frasers Logistics & Commercial Trust) (“FLT”) and Frasers Commercial Trust by way of a trust scheme of arrangement worth S$1.54bn.
Morgan Lewis Stamford LLC
Morgan Lewis Stamford LLC, praised for its ‘deep knowledge of market practices’, distinctly combines integrated international and Singaporean law capabilities. Bernard Lui , an M&A, corporate finance and IPO lawyer, leads the team and is supported by equity and debt capital markets expert, Suet-Fern Lee, as well as Wai Ming Yap who is a veteran of over 30 years of handling high-end M&A deals, in both Singapore and Malaysia. At junior-partner level, Vanessa Ng is also a standout and has recently led on a number of general offer, takeover, capital market and myriad corporate transactions. The team's work also covers joint ventures, restructurings, spin-offs, public-to-private transactions and leveraged buyouts.
Other key lawyers:
Testimonials
‘The team’s deep knowledge of market practices and compliance. When it comes to actual planning, organising and implementation. Strong teamwork comes to my mind.’
‘Extremely detailed, thorough and responsive. Most professional lawyers I have ever worked with.’
‘Yap Wai Ming has the most brilliant mind of any lawyer I have worked with. He is also down to earth, humble and extremely relatable.’
‘The team is knowledgeable, proactive and extremely diligent. They are able to quickly identify the crux of a problem and efficiently and effectively provide practical solutions to resolve a matter.’
‘We have been working closely with Bernard Lui and Chrystle Kuek. They have exceptional aptitude in understanding client constraints and problems and obtain effective and efficient solutions quickly. Their response time is also exceptional as compared to other competitors.’
‘Joo Khin is always the leader – a champion to take charge with the rest of the team that get together to tackle the issue on hand. I value their practical approach and never say it is impossible attitude.’
Key clients
Yinda Infocomm Limited
Citicode Ltd
Aqua Munda Pte Ltd
Sinopipe Holdings Ltd/Ten-League Engineering & Technology Pte Ltd
AsiaPhos Limited
Intraco Limited
CSC Holdings Limited
Kim Heng Offshore & Marine Holdings Limited
China Mining International Limited
Grand Venture Technology Limited
Work highlights
- Represented 2 subsidiaries of Invicta Holdings Limited, a company listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange with core businesses in engineering solutions and capital equipment, in a series of acquisitions and share issues culminating in a joint venture between shareholders of a subsidiary. The deal is valued at approximately US$88.3m and the jurisdictions involved include Singapore and China.
- Advised SGX-listed Citicode Ltd in its S$72m reverse takeover of Livingstone Health Ltd.
- Advising Kimly Limited on its S$54m acquisition of the businesses of the Tenderfresh Group, comprising of central kitchens, restaurants/kiosks and food stalls. Kimly Limited is a company listed on the SGX and currently operates various coffee shops and other F&B establishments across Singapore. The acquisition of the Tenderfresh Group (which comprises of several well-known restaurant brands such as Tenderfresh, Tenderbest and Hawkerman) will expand Kimly Limited’s presence in the F&B industry even further in Singapore.
Rajah & Tann Singapore LLP
Clients note Rajah & Tann Singapore LLP as ‘one of the most impressive law firms across the Asia-Pacific through its strong ASEAN footprint.’ The firm has offices in China, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand and Viternam, among other locations, and is geared to handle all manner of transactions, from acquisitions, divestments and takeovers to mergers, de-mergers and restructurings. Lawrence Tan possesses an extensive track record in competing takeover offers of public-listed companies while Wee Hann Lim ’s practice often sees him engaged on multi-jurisdictional transactions involving biotechnology, pharmaceutical and healthcare companies. The duo jointly head the practice which is also active in the banking, real estate, technology, insurance and telecommunications fields and includes Sandy Foo, a lawyer who complements her M&A knowhow with banking and finance expertise.
Testimonials
‘One of the most impressive law firms across the Asia-Pacific through their strong ASEAN footprint. ’
‘Wee Hann Lim is a true star. His ability to cut through the nitty gritty makes him standout as a leader in his field.’
‘The firm is very diverse in its range of disciplines and, importantly, maintains a consistently high standard across all. This is helpful because as a growing startup, Rajah & Tann is able to see us through various stages of growth.’
‘Effective, efficient and fully met our needs.’
‘A regional practice. Very important for cross-border M&A and due diligence efforts. Highly responsive and competent. ’
‘Brian Ng – technically very competent – regional experience (Southeast Asia) particularly in the emerging markets – extremely resourceful and street smart.’
Key clients
Bank of China Limited
CITIC Limited
Hong Leong Group
Japfa Limited
Kuok Group
OUE Limited
Perennial Real Estate Holdings Limited
PSA Group
Salim Group conglomerate
Singapore Press Holdings
Work highlights
- Acted for Perennial Real Estate Holdings Limited in the voluntary conditional cash offer by United Overseas Bank Limited and DBS Bank Limited, for and on behalf of Primero Investment Holdings Pte. Ltd., to acquire all of the issued and paid-up ordinary shares in the capital of Perennial Real Estate Holdings Limited. The offer values Perennial Real Estate Holdings Limited at approximately S$1.579bn.
- Advised CITIC Envirotech Ltd. in its selective capital reduction of shares subsequent to its delisting from the Main Board of the Singapore Exchange Securities Trading Limited in January 2020. Based on the offer price of S$0.55 per share, CITIC Envirotech group is valued at S$1.34bn.
- Acted for SB REIT Management Pte. Ltd., in its capacity as manager of Soilbuild Business Space REIT, in the acquisition of all the issued units in Soilbuild Business Space REIT by Clay Holdings III Limited by way of a scheme of arrangement. The acquisition values Soilbuild Business Space REIT at approximately S$700m.
TSMP Law Corporation
TSMP Law Corporation is led by Stefanie Yuen Thio, one of the firm’s founding partners; her practice sees her engaged on high-end M&A, general corporate transactions and initial public offerings and the wider team is also engaged for publicly listed takeovers and privatisations. A key differentiator for the group is its long-standing expertise in representing REITs.
Practice head(s):
Key clients
Credit Suisse
Singapore Life Pte. Ltd.
Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan
YTL Power International Bhd
Investcorp
Milbank LLP
Yinson Acacia Limited, Yinson Boronia Consortium Pte. Ltd.
Dynamic Colours Limited
Firstcorp Pte. Ltd.; Firstcorp Global Pte. Ltd.; Firstcorp International Pte. Ltd.; Firstcorp Partners I Pte. Ltd.
Catena Technologies
GEMS Global School Limited GEMS Education (East Asia) Pte. Ltd.
MM2 Asia Ltd
Work highlights
- Advised Credit Suisse, financial adviser to CapitaLand Commercial Trust Management (as manager of CapitaLand Commercial Trust) in the S$22.9bn merger of CapitaLand Mall Trust and CapitaLand Commercial Trust.
- Acted for the shareholders of home-grown insurer Singapore Life Pte. Ltd. (Singlife) in its merger with Aviva Singapore in Singapore’s largest insurance deal, with a combined business valued at S$3.2bn.
- Acted for Credit Suisse (Singapore) Limited, the financial advisor to Temasek Holdings, in the S$2.1bn recapitalisation of Sembcorp Marine through a rights issue, and the demerger of Sembcorp Industries and Sembcorp Marine.
Baker McKenzie Wong & Leow
Leveraging Baker McKenzie’s expansive international network, Baker McKenzie Wong & Leow thrives in respect of public M&A transactions, from friendly and hostile takeovers through to asset acquisitions and schemes of arrangements. The practice is co-headed by Andrew Martin and Kelvin Poa and is principally focused on the healthcare and life sciences, manufacturing, TMT, transportation, consumer goods, retail and financial services fields. Ai Ai Wong has a track record in acting for blue-chip clients and has played a role in winning mandates in London, New York and Paris, among other locations. Elsewhere, Min-Tze Lean is a prominent name for joint ventures, corporate advisory and restructuring work and Kenny Kwan is at the forefront of the group’s capacity for SPAC transactions.
Practice head(s):
Other key lawyers:
Ai Ai Wong; Min-Tze Lean; Kenny Kwan
Testimonials
‘Incredibly knowledgeable, fair and transparent billing with a commercial mindset.‘
Key clients
Zuellig Pharma
Cornes & Company
Amcorp Group Berhad
Mitani Corporation
Work highlights
- Advising Zuellig Pharma on (a) the corporate restructuring involving the Singapore joint venture holding company; (b) its proposed joint venture with two incoming investors, namely International Finance Corporation and Mitsui & Co. (Asia Pacific) Pte. Ltd.; and (c) the proposed investment by these two incoming investors, in respect of the client’s existing third party administration business.
- Advised Cornes & Company in the post-merger reorganisation of its Cornes Safe Navigation and Global Navigation Solutions units into a new business unit named “Voyager Worldwide”.
- Represented Amcorp Group Berhad in connection with the proposed acquisition of over 51% Tee Land, a real estate company in Singapore by way of a partial offer.
Dentons Rodyk
Dentons Rodyk operates in close tangent with the firm’s Indonesia, Malaysia and Myanmar offices and also its wider network, located across 81 countries worldwide. The team often serves as a hub for outward-looking Singaporean companies and is particularly knowledgeable of the healthcare, technology, financial institution, corporate real estate and consumer products sectors. Eng Leng Ng, Marian Ho and S Sivanesan jointly head the practice and are respectively proficient in regional and cross-border takeovers, privatisations, joint ventures, private equity, venture capital and reorganisation matters.
Practice head(s):
Other key lawyers:
Testimonials
‘Li Chuan Hsu is professional and responsive. Understands the key issues very well and provides good advice.’
‘A global and localised team business model helps reach out to places where our overseas operations are engineering staff-biased and corporate control rested in Singapore. The team’s knowledge of the Asia business culture and broad understanding augmented the law firm’s business model.’
‘Partner invested time to understand our niche business, business culture and is always ready to value add to ideas.’
‘Partner sized up each engagement, delegate where necessary to team members but never hands off, hence assuring the quality advise expected of a professional firm.’
‘We are very pleased with the professional advice and support from Eng Leng Ng.’
Key clients
CEI Limited
Elec & Eltek International Company Limited
LOGOS
PFNonwovens US
Ripple Labs Inc.
Samko Timber Limited
Procurri Corporation Limited
Bosch Limited
Boustead Fund
Boustead Singapore Limited
Coastal Marine Pte. Ltd.
Frasers Property Limited
Keppel Corporation Limited
Confidential client
Lum Chang Holdings Limited
TE Asia Healthcare Partners Pte Ltd
Chunichi Copro Holdings Co., Ltd
Resona Bank Limited
Mapletree Investments Pte Ltd
Work highlights
- Acted for Ripple Labs Singapore Pte. Ltd. as Purchaser in its acquisition of a 40% shareholding interest in Tranglo Sdn Bhd, one of Asia’s leading cross-border payments specialists with offices in, amongst others, Malaysia, Singapore, London, Jakarta and the UAE.
- Acting for Bosch which, through its investment vehicle Robert Bosch Investment Nederland B.V., acquired a 26% in SUN Mobility, a leading provider of universal energy infrastructure and services to accelerate mass electric vehicle usage.
- Acting as the Singapore legal advisers to Elec & Eltek International Company Limited in relation to a voluntary conditional offer by Elec & Eltek International Holdings Limited valued at approximately US$115m and, if successful, the shares of the company will be delisted from the Singapore Exchange and the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.
Drew & Napier LLC
Hailed as ‘strong in its multijurisdictional transaction management’, a point of distinction for Drew & Napier LLC is its integration with Drew Network Asia, a relationship which sees it aligned with firms in both Indonesia and Malaysia. The department handles everything from public takeovers, privatisations and asset divestment through to public and private M&A, joint ventures and restructurings. Practice head Steven Lo represents bidders, financial advisers and target companies; both he and Tan Teng Sen are singled out by clients as ‘superb legal practitioners’ meanwhile Seraphina Ho is ‘super reliable and will not let the ball drop.’
Practice head(s):
Other key lawyers:
Testimonials
‘Smart individuals, proactive in identifying problems and solutions before they arise and commercially focused. ’
‘Steven Lo and Tan Teng Sen are not just superb legal practitioners but ones who apply themselves across the most complex corporate situations and develop meaningful solutions that have a consequential impact on transaction outcomes. ’
‘Everyone in the team responds quickly and is always available. They have a wide network of partners within Asia and are able to recommend other jurisdictional lawyers to assist.’
‘Tan Teng Sen has an unrivalled manner with clients. It is always comfortable talking to him as he takes genuine interest and personal pride in the client’s legal matters. I find that he embodies the meaning of a trusted advisor. ’
‘Tan Teng Sen provides excellent deal leadership , highly competent and navigates well on a transaction, knows the real risk points and not pedantic.’
‘Seraphina Ho covers our blind spot, is super reliable and will not let the ball drop.’
‘People, especially reliable corporate/M&A team is important for us. Billing was also flexible and reasonable in light of the quality of work.’
‘Tang Ten Sen surely works and leads the M&A projects by closely commincating both in emails and through calls. Steven Lo is also great. They are highly capable in deal management.’
‘I have been working closely with these individuals since my company was founded in June 2018, and they are the most professional, experienced, hard working, collaborative, problem solving, and helpful team members I’ve ever met.’
‘The corporate and M&A team is very structured, quick and responsive. They are strong in managing multi-jurisdictional transactions and matters, always anticipating issues and offering sound practical advice, cutting through the haze and getting to the core issues. ’
Key clients
RHB Investment Bank Berhad
Wongnai Media Co., Ltd.
Tuan Sing Holdings Limited
TIHT Investment Holdings Pte Ltd
Tricor Services Limited
Lafe Corporation Limited
Temasek Holdings
StarHub Ltd
SoftBank Vision Fund
Sealed Air Corporation
FWD Group
Evercore Asia (Singapore) Pte. Ltd
COSCO SHIPPING International (Singapore) Co., Ltd.
TIH Limited
Metro Holdings
Bloomeria Limited
Hanns Ventures Pte Ltd, Insas Technology Berhad, SBI Islamic Fund II (Brunei) Limited
Arunasalam Jeyakumar
Sheares Healthcare Group
Star Capital Partnership LLP
Work highlights
- Acted for Evercore Asia (Singapore) Pte. Ltd., the independent financial adviser to SGX Mainboard-listed Frasers Commercial Trust in its proposed merger with SGX Mainboard-listed Frasers Logistics & Industrial Trust by way of a trust scheme of arrangement.
- Acted for Tuan Sing in the divestment of its property holding subsidiary 39 Robinson Road Pte. Ltd., which owns freehold office tower Robinson Point, at an agreed property value of S$500m.
- Acted as Singapore law counsel to Wongnai Media in relation to the reorganisation of its group entities and assets pursuant to a merger by way of amalgamation with Line and a post-merger equity funding from BRV valued at approximately US$110m.
Shook Lin & Bok LLP
Lawyers of Shook Lin & Bok LLP are praised for their ‘cutting edge and commercial nous’; they are relied upon by multinational corporations, private equity investors and financial institutions, among others, for a wealth of transaction types including takeovers and hostile bids, tender offers, buy-outs, joint ventures, privatisations and reverse takeovers. Practice head David Chong has advised on deals throughout Europe, Asia and the Middle East; he possesses an extensive knowledge of the communications, media, energy, natural resources and technology sectors and the wider team is also adept in the pharmaceuticals, healthcare, logistics, transportation, real estate and construction fields.
Practice head(s):
Other key lawyers:
Testimonials
‘With partners like Dayne Ho, SLB now has cutting edge commercial nous, practicality and technical skills in a heritage firm. ’
‘Dayne Ho is a top-notch negotiator who brings highly practical solutions to the table. Technically excellent and extremely responsive. More intuitive to client’s concerns than any other M&A practitioner in the market. ’
Work highlights
- Acted for Diginex Limited (Diginex), a blockchain financial firm based in Hong Kong, in a reverse merge with 8i, a special purpose acquisition company listed on the Nasdaq Stock Market.
- Acted for CDH Fund V, L.P., a PRC based private equity fund and the founding shareholders in the sale of the entire shareholding interest in Aver Asia Corporation Pte Ltd to Sumitomo Corporation.
- Acted for the founding shareholders in the sale of Pharmaforte (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd and Pharmaforte Singapore Pte Ltd to Advantage Partners, a Japanese based private equity fund, and rollover interest in the targets
Bird & Bird ATMD LLP
Bird & Bird ATMD LLP operates across a broad spectrum of deal types including public and private M&A, joint ventures, amalgamations, share and business transactions, restructurings, take-overs and leverages buyouts. Practice head Marcus Chow is an established name within the venture capital, private equity, regulatory and equity capital markets fields and frequently works in closely with his regional colleagues on multi-jurisdictional matters. In terms of sector expertise, the team is aligned with the firm’s international focus on aviation, automotive, energy, life sciences, healthcare, banking, finance, media, sports, retail and technology.
Practice head(s):
Other key lawyers:
Testimonials
‘The team is responsive and works quickly, without compromise on quality. Particularly useful for transactions with tight timelines.’
‘Jolie Giouw is the counsel we work with and we are impressed with her strong knowledge of the law and remarkable memory and tenacity in getting high quality solutions out to us quickly. Her ability to propose elegant solutions to complex problems and bridge issues is highly regarded, as is her work ethic to go the extra mile for us outside of the scope of her engagement. Its about delivering on the objectives of her clients to her, not just about her scope of work.’
Key clients
Tramore Global Limited/Altair Capital
JEP Holdings Ltd
BNI
LCT Holdings Limited
Gazelle Capital
SBI Offshore Limited
Total Eren AS
SDCL Energy Efficiency Income Trust
Samsung Venture Investment Corporation
MassMutual Ventures SEA
Novo Tellus Capital Partners Pte. Ltd.
Mesh Bio Pte. Ltd.
Woowa Brothers
Work highlights
- Advised Tramore Global Limited in its acquisition of the shares of SGX-ST Mainboard-listed Tee International Limited from a substantial shareholder.
- Advised a multinational technology company in its Series B investment into a mobile-first content platform, Glance
- Advised as Singapore counsel to SEEIT Asia Limited, an affiliate of UK-listed SDCL Energy Efficiency Income Trust, in its acquisition of a portfolio of energy efficiency projects in Singapore.
CNPLaw LLP
A ‘very proactive, consumer-focused’ team, CNPLaw LLP is active across the ASEAN region, especially in Indonesia, Cambodia, Myanmar and Vietnam, with an ever-increasing roster of Chinese clients. Lisa Theng is the go-to for corporate governance and compliance affairs while Ken Chia hones his focus on M&A, joint ventures, restructuring and private equity affairs. The team counts manufacturing, financial services, healthcare, logistics, e-commerce, technology and retail as its key pillars. Bill Jamieson, who is dual-qualified in Singapore and England, specialises in supporting overseas clients who are looking to tap into Asian markets.
Other key lawyers:
Testimonials
‘They are very customer focussed and could pre-empt pitfalls. Very proactive.’
‘Firm is big enough to have access to competent legal counsel /platform in most areas of law while being small enough to still have an efficient overlap/interaction between departments and skillsets.’
‘Bill Jamieson is very consistent in giving timely and accurate advice as well as drafting, delivering or turning around of papers which are of high quality, with a first time right approach.’
‘Lisa Theng and her team are quick witted, authentic and willing to solve any problems.’
Key clients
Estate Holdings Pte Ltd
Tech Data (Singapore) Pte Ltd, a subsidiary of Tech Data Corporation (“Tech Data”)
International Press Softcom Limited
Axington Inc.
Sinergy Capital Asia Limited
Blumont Group Ltd.
Comexposium Holding
Stonevault Capital Pte. Ltd.
RELX (Singapore) Pte Ltd
Work highlights
- Advised Pison Investments Pte. Ltd., a potential investor in the restructuring of a major water treatment business with a holding company listed on the Singapore Stock Exchange, Hyflux Limited.
- Advising Tech Data on its acquisition of the Innovix group of companies from the Fortune Global 500-listed Jardine Matheson Group.
- Advised International Press Softcom Limited in relation to a voluntary conditional offer made by UOB Kay Hian Private Limited for and on behalf of ZHCC Investment Holdings Pte Ltd.
Duane Morris & Selvam LLP
Duane Morris & Selvam LLP leverages a presence in Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, Myanmar and Shanghai with its Singapore office serving as the gateway for its business in the region. The team is thoroughly experienced in businesses formation and commercial agreements, in addition to corporate transactions, and also supports on regulatory and statutory matters. Practice head Krishna Ramachandra also leads the firm’s fintech and TMT groups and is well-versed in M&A, take-overs, exit strategies and private equity participation. Priyank Srivastava is highly rated for cross-border work, especially relating to India and the team has been bolstered by the arrival of Aaron Kok, an up-and-coming name for joint ventures, private equity transactions, restructurings and multi-jurisdictional M&A.
Practice head(s):
Krishna Ramachandra
Other key lawyers:
Aaron Kok; Priyank Srivastava
Testimonials
‘This practice is unique to us as it operates in markets where we are operating in and is in line with our expansion footprint. Its a well-rounded firm with various complementary specialisations.’
‘It has very well qualified partners and associates who over deliver their promises and commitment to us as clients ’
‘Priyank Srivastava is very well versed with multi-jurisdiction work covering India, Singapore and Myanmar. Often coming out with innovative and commercially viable solutions, we see him as a business partner more than a lawyer. Specifically his advice in the downstream oil & gas sector, he is well regarded and simply put – his advice makes simple and complete sense to us.’
‘Priyank doesn’t over complicate matters and isn’t afraid to advice us that whatever we intend to do doesn’t make sense while clearly highlighting the potential risks we would undertake if we were to go ahead.’
Key clients
Dupont
Protelindo
Globe Telecom
Avepoint Edutech
Genesis Alternative Ventures
Laura Ashley Asia Pte Ltd
Ringl Technologies Pte Ltd
Work highlights
- We advised Protelindo on its US$750 million proposed acquisition of up to 6,000 telecommunication towers from Indosat Ooredoo with the final sale by Indosat Ooredoo with all remaining towers and extensive relocation rights.
- Assisted a Singapore subsidiary of AvePoint, Inc., the largest independent software vendor of SaaS solutions, with securing their S$11 million fundraise from prominent Singaporean investors. The subsidiary will boast one of the first holistic SaaS education management systems directly integrated with Microsoft 365 for educational institutions and commercial businesses with training and accreditation needs.
- Represented DuPont in the sale of its Solamet business, which manufactures solar cell paste to deliver higher solar energy efficiency, to a private equity-sponsored business in China.
Pinsent Masons MPillay
Pinsent Masons MPillay is home to a distinguished level of M&A prowess in the fintech and medtech fields and is also extremely active in the life science, social media, defence, aviation, financial services, mining and manufacturing fields. In addition, the team recently bolstered its transactional capabilities in the energy space through the arrival of William Stroll, formerly of Herbert Smith Freehills LLP. Nicholas Hanna is active on M&A and joint venture matters throughout the region meanwhile fellow practice co-head Mark Tan has forged a strong reputation for both his inbound and outbound acquisitions work.
Practice head(s):
Other key lawyers:
Key clients
AB Dynamics plc
Work highlights
- Advised AB Dynamics plc, a company listed on the AIM market of the London Stock Exchange on their acquisition of the entire issued share capital of Vadotech Pte Ltd and Zynit Pte Ltd, collectively Vadotech Group.
Prolegis LLC
Prolegis LLC combines a ‘strong understanding of Singapore law’ with the international capabilities of Herbert Smith Freehills, with whom it operates in a formal law alliance. Practice head Ban Leong Oo , praised for his proficiency in ‘dealing with complex transactions’, fronts the practice which has a track record in the energy and telecommunication sectors. The workload is principally centred around Singapore, Indonesia and Malaysia though also includes matters spread across Australia, the UK, Japan and Hong Kong.
Practice head(s):
Other key lawyers:
Testimonials
‘We work with Prolegis, which is the Singapore part of Herbert Smith Freehills. We know them well, and I have worked with their namesake partner for many years, on matters ranging from commercial work to transactional support. They are practical and sensible lawyers who give prompt, clear, direct and succinct advice. I value this as well as the personalised way in which they provide support.’
‘Ban Leong Oo is my ‘go to’ person whom I trust implicitly for sensible and creative solutions that are delivered with dedication and finesse. He’s the stable, clear-headed corporate M&A specialist you want on your side when dealing with complex transactions.’
‘Prolegis has a good team with a strong understanding of Singapore law.’
‘Ban Leong Oo is an extremely knowledgeable and competent lawyer. He is very commercially minded and takes a practical approach without compromising his client\’s needs. He is very approachable and hands-on. I have dealt with law firms where the partner is not fully engaged and tasks are delegated to juniors. This is not the case with Ban Leong.’
‘ProLegis LLC (which has a Formal Law Alliance with Herbert Smith Freehills) is a well regarded specialist in commercial and corporate law. Outstanding client support from a well qualified team and client orientated team.’
‘The team works quickly and is well-versed and able to advice on practical commercial issues. More importantly, they are able to deliver on time and with quality. ‘
Key clients
TPG Telecom
EQT Global Infrastructure
Yinson Holdings Berhad
Marubeni Corporation
A Chinese Telecommunications Company
Armstrong Southeast Asia Clean Energy Fund
Investree
Work highlights
- Advised on the spin out and listing of Singapore’s fourth telco TPG Telecom, which launched commercial services in March 2020. The transaction involved complex regulatory engagement with the telecoms regulator and securities regulator in Singapore.
- Advised EQT in relation to its subsidiary, Asia Pacific Village Group Limited’s (APVG) acquisition of Metlifecare, a leading New Zealand owner and operator of retirement villages, on the Singapore aspects of this transaction. The transaction was structured as a scheme of arrangement in New Zealand. The holding companies of the acquirer are based in Singapore.
- Advised Yinson Holdings Berhad on its US$800m refinancing of one of the company’s oil and gas floatation, production, storage, and offloading (FPSO) vessels currently operating off the coast of Ghana.
Quahe Woo & Palmer LLC
‘Relatively young but also dynamic and results-driven’, Quahe Woo & Palmer LLC formed its practice in 2015 and has since developed a strong reputation for venture capital and fund raising work, cross-border M&A and private equity deals. Practice head Kenneth Leong is thoroughly experienced when it comes to joint ventures, asset and share acquisitions, general offers, vendor auction sales and private equity-led buy-outs; his workload spans a range of industries including food and beverage, retail, logistics, education and medical technology.
Practice head(s):
Other key lawyers:
Testimonials
‘They are very attentive and client-centric. The team of legal counsels working with my firm was very good at leveraging technology in servicing the client’s needs.’
‘Kenneth Leong and Sheryn Tan have demonstrated a strong sense of commitment and dedication in their works. They were very adept and responsive to the changing situation of a very dynamic and complex transaction. They were creative in providing practical solutions to address the requirements of the task at hand. ’
‘Quahe Woo & Palmer is a full service firm which is well able to service all clients needs. They have a presence in Hong Kong which helps significantly as clients like to discuss matters in person and having Wei-Jin Lee in Hong Kong is a great advantage to working with the firm. ’
‘They are knowledgeable, experienced, commercial and very responsive. Also, they work as a team so if there is an issue in a matter that the particular partner is not familiar with, they will involve other partners. ’
Key clients
L Catterton Asia
Affirma Capital Ltd
Universal Group Holdings (Pte.) Ltd. (“UGH”)
United Test and Assembly Center Ltd
Chip Eng Seng Corporation Ltd
Phoon Huat Group Pte. Ltd.
Rawabi Holding Company Limited (“Rawabi Holding”)
Sunvic Chemical Holdings Limited (“Sunvic”)
International Finance Corporation, a member of the World Bank Group
ABM Respiratory Care
Tulp Street Pte. Ltd.
Mediaload Pte. Ltd.
Neuroglee Therapeutics Pte. Ltd.
NV5 Global Inc. and NV5 International Limited
Avalon Steritech
ASICS Corporation
Messe Munchen GmbH
OYO Corporation
Work highlights
- Acted for Universal Group Holdings (Pte.) Ltd. in the sale to Jurong Port Pte Ltd of its 41% interest in the business and assets of Universal Terminal, which operated Singapore’s largest independent petroleum storage terminal and one of the biggest commercial storage facilities worldwide.
- We acted as transaction counsel to United Test and Assembly Center Ltd in its acquisition of assets relating to the semiconductor wafer bumping operations from Powertech Technology (Singapore) Pte. Ltd. (wholly-owned by Powertech Technology Inc. which is listed on the Taiwan Stock Exchange).
- Acted as counsel for Rawabi Holding Company Limited in respect of: (a) a proposed investment of US$10 million in a new wholly-owned subsidiary to be incorporated by Swiber Holdings Limited (“New Swiber”) by way of subscription of such number of new ordinary shares in the capital of New Swiber which will in aggregate constitute approximately (but not less than) 80% of New Swiber’s enlarged total issued share capital (“New Swiber Investment”); and (b) a proposed investment of up to US$190 million in Equatoriale Energy Pte. Ltd. (“Project Owner”), presently a wholly-owned subsidiary of Swiber Holdings Limited and which will be transferred to New Swiber pursuant to an internal restructuring exercise to be carried out by Swiber Holdings Limited.
Resource Law LLC
Resource Law LLC operates in a formal alliance with Reed Smith, a relationship which closely integrates the local team with the international firm’s wider network in Asia, the Middle East, the US and Europe. Kohe Hasan has developed a prominent reputation for transactions and ventures within the energy and infrastructure sectors and the wider team is equally adept when it comes to the technology and media sectors. Johnny Lim frequently acts for PRC clients looking to expand through Singapore into the wider Southeast Asia region.
Practice head(s):
Testimonials
‘The team has always demonstrated a thorough understanding of the law and provided solutions that made us feel at ease. The follow-up was excellent, and we were able to get along well with our stakeholders.’
‘Johnny Lim was very prompt and courteous. I found him to be confident, very knowledgeable, and he provided me with every assurance throughout our requirement.
Atlas Asia Law Corporation
Atlas Asia Law Corporation, a boutique corporate and commercial firm, was founded in 2018 and specialises in M&A, corporate restructurings and reorganisations, private equity, venture capital, commercial agreements and corporate finance, among other areas. The firm is an independent member of the global EY network and is co-led by Chan Wan Hong and firm founder Evelyn Ang, a lawyer who is often engaged on the Singapore law aspects of global transactions.
Practice head(s):
Chan Wan Hong; Evelyn Ang
Other key lawyers:
Kenneth Cheow; Glenda Lee; Desiree Lee
Testimonials
‘Atlas Asia Law Corporation has demonstrated a keen sense of regulatory awareness and provides advice that is as practical as it is valuable. As client, we operate in a unique sphere within the fintech sector. The firm’s network and partners have stood out for their efficiency in collaboration, smooth billing processes, and ease of communications.’
Kenneth Cheow and Evelyn Ang have both been critical to the projects we have undertaken with the firm. They are able to provide complex legal and regulatory advice simply, while taking into account business practicality. This is supported by their ability to empathise with the commercial position and demonstrate flexibility in their thinking and strategies. Enabling clients to maintain high legal standards and achieve business goals without compromising on either aspects is a strong trait that puts the firm ahead.’
Key clients
Moneythor Pte. Ltd.
Natural Cool Holdings Limited
Thomson Women’s Clinic Holdings Pte Ltd
Neo Group Limited
Lyreco (Singapore) Pte Ltd
Healthway Medical Corporation Limited
AnyMind Group Limited
Centurion Corporation Limited
Wong Fong Industries Limited
Work highlights
- Advised Moneythor Pte. Ltd., a financial technology group headquartered in Singapore, and its existing shareholders, in relation to Navis Capital Partners’ investment in Moneythor.
- Advised Thomson Women’s Clinic Holdings Pte Ltd on its amalgamation with 10 wholly-owned subsidiaries, and prepared the amalgamation documents.
- Acted for Neo Group Limited in relation to a voluntary conditional cash offer.
RHTLaw Asia LLP
RHTLaw Asia LLP is uniquely organised into eight industry-specific groups, namely consumer brands, healthcare and life sciences, private wealth, TMT, transport and logistics, real estate and infrastructure, financial institutions and education. Erwan Barre is extensively experienced, having transacted approximately $20bn worth of deals throughout his career, meanwhile Yang Eu Jin provides the group with capital markets and corporate finance expertise; the pair jointly head the practice which is especially active on the cross-border front, leveraging a team of lawyers qualified in China, Hong Kong, Australia, Malaysia and the US.
Practice head(s):
Other key lawyers:
Key clients
Geopost
Obvio Health
Tikehau
Singapore Press Holdings and SPH AlphaOne Pte. Ltd.
Work highlights
- Advised Transphorm Inc., in the creation of GaNovation, a Singapore based joint venture with operations throughout Asia, with JCP Capital Management LLC, a US/China investment fund.
- Acting for logistics giant GeoPost in relation to the latest Series D funding (over US$279million) round for logistics provider Ninja Van.
- Advised Obvio Health Pte. Ltd. on their global strategic alliance with IQVIA Consumer Health. The purpose of this agreement was for ObvioHealth to become IQVIA Consumer Health’s preferred engine for virtual consumer scientific research.
Virtus Law LLP - Stephenson Harwood (Singapore) Alliance
Virtus Law LLP - Stephenson Harwood (Singapore) Alliance is a formal law alliance and fields a corporate and M&A practice which is especially knowledgeable of the technology and telecommunications, healthcare and maritime sectors and has also recently noted an uptick in its work for private equity and private credit funds. Practice head Elaine Beh is proficient in a range of transaction including corporate restructurings, regional M&A and cross-border joint ventures.
Practice head(s):
Other key lawyers:
Testimonials
‘Organised, friendly, sensible and commercial. ’
‘Responsible, practical, commercial advice responding to hot buttons issues with clear, concise advice to allay concerns, guide commercial negotiations and keep focus on expeditious execution.’
‘Sheetal Sandhu, Elaine Beh and Parikhit Sarma and their associates combine humility, street smarts and precision in their advice.’
Key clients
Zedra Group
Iflix
Arcus Infrastructure Partners
Affinity (Shipping) LLP
Corporation Service Company
Barentz International B.V.
Duff & Phelps
Q & M Dental Group (Singapore) Limited
Vickers Ventures Partners
Maritec
IntriCon Corporation
Anchor Resources Limited
China Navigation Company Pte. Ltd. and Swire Bulk Holdings Pte. Ltd.
Singapura finance
TSA Group
Work highlights
- Advising Barentz International B.V. on its acquisition of Nardev Chemie, a speciality chemicals distributor. The acquisition of the Singapore head office has been completed, and Barentz will be acquiring the other group entities successively in Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand.
- Advising Q&M Dental on various matters including its acquisition of 51% stake in Acumen Diagnostics Pte. Ltd, a company involved in the manufacture, sale and distribution of diagnostic test kits for viruses such as COVID-19, in Singapore and overseas.
- Advising Corporation Service Company, a global provider of business, legal, tax and digital brand services, on its acquisition of the FirstCorp Group across Southeast Asia.
Withers KhattarWong LLP
Withers KhattarWong LLP counts its venture capital work as its foremost field of activity though is active on a variety of other fronts, from acquisitions and divestments through to strategic arrangements and cross-border investments. Daniel Yong leads the practice and is well versed when it comes to multi-jurisdictional transactions involving India and China, leveraging the firm’s integration with the international Withersworldwide network.
Practice head(s):
Other key lawyers:
Testimonials
‘Commercial, structured and technically sound.’
‘Erlene Tan is in control of the situation and very approachable making discussions very productive.’
Key clients
Nithia Capital
The International Table Tennis Federation
Alami Technologies Pte. Ltd.
Kejora Ventures
eFishery
Altara Ventures
Grab / Grab Holdings Inc.
K2 International Medical
Work highlights
- Acted as Singapore counsel to Nithia Capital in relation to its joint venture with CarVal Investors to acquire Uttam Galva Metallics Limited and Uttam Value Steels Limited for a total consideration of 2,000 Crore.
- Advised Kejora Ventures on: (i) SiCepat Ekspres Indonesia’s blockbuster US$150m Series B fundraising; and (ii) an associated secondary purchase of shares in SiCepat Ekspres from existing shareholders.
- Advised a new UHNW client on their investment in a San Francisco-based food technology company, Eat Just. The investment was made by way of a subscription into a sub-fund of a VCC, which will be entering into a US$120m joint venture with Eat Just.